Scholarships are a great way to bridge the growing gap between
your financial aid award and the remaining cost of college.
There's a ton of scholarships available, but cashing in requires
devoted research and paperwork on your part—think of it as
practice for freshman year!
Don't know where to start? Get answers with our Frequently Asked
Questions!
Minority specific scholarships make up roughly 3-4 percent of
all institutional scholarships (those granted by schools). There
are many more private scholarships available, although they are
generally for far less money. Devote your time and effort to the
big scholarships first, but remember that they're the most
competitive. Keep your options open and allocate your time
wisely.
Smaller private scholarships run anywhere from $50 to $500. In
order to track them down, start with your guidance counselor and
state department of education. You'll also need to commit to a
good amount of web surfing. There are plenty of minority specific
private awards available, but don't stop there. There's a
scholarship for almost every activity you can imagine.
Remember that each scholarship's requirements are different,
and once again you'll have to pay particular attention to
deadlines.
Tip: Don't limit yourself to your locality. Significant
scholarship money goes unclaimed because no one applies. Nearly
every civic group, union, and professional association offers
some sort of scholarship program-and you don't have to be a
member of the organization to apply.
The following groups provide useful information on private
scholarships: